Changing Color With Smart Windows

Nanoparticle based windows could switch colors on demand.

Nanoparticle-based windows could switch colors on demand: One day, you might not need special bulbs to give your room's lighting a different hue -- you'd just tell the windows themselves to change. Rice University researchers have discovered that you can change the colors transmitted through glass by sending a voltage through pairs of gold and silver nanoparticles, which you frequently find in stained glass windows. Jolt a window one way and you'd get a bright red; reverse the voltage and you'd get blue. All you're really doing is forming or removing chemical bridges between the particles.

The technology is still far from production, so don't expect to renovate your home just yet. However, you only need tiny amounts of the precious metals to achieve dramatic effects. As such, you might well find yourself upgrading to color shifting smart windows around the whole home, not just in one or two prime locations.

Medieval artisans unwittingly used nanotechnology when they mixed gold chloride into molten glass to create richly hued stained glass windows. Soon we could have full-color displays or stained-glass windows that change color at the flick of an electrical switch, thanks to the same kinds of light-scattering nanoparticles.

We’re one step closer to such wondrous things with a new method for connecting metal nanoparticles via teensy “drawbridges” of thin layers of silver, developed by researchers at Rice University. This lets them link pairs of nanoparticles that scatter different colors of light together to form simple color displays. The scientists described their work in a new paper in Science Advances.

Nanoparticles are special because they straddle the boundary between the macroscopic and quantum realms, where classical physics and quantum mechanics hold sway, respectively. It’s their size that matters: a nanometer is equivalent to one 25-millionth of an inch, and nanoparticles range in size from a few nanometers to several hundred nanometers. That gives them unusual properties not found in the same elements at the macro scale.

This includes optical properties, notably how metal nanoparticles in particular scatter light. Scientists have analyzed medieval stained glass windows, and found gold and silver nanoparticles are the key to the deep reds and yellows found therein.

The gold nanoparticles absorb blue and yellow light; red light, with its longer wavelength, reflects off them and passes through the glass. Something similar happens with silver nanoparticles; only bright yellow light scatters off and passes through the glass. Make gold spheres a bit larger, and you can get green or orange. Make the silver nanoparticles smaller, and you get blue.

They have interesting chemically reactive properties, too. In 2008, for instance, scientists at Queensland University of Technology found that some stained glass windows actually helped purify the air when the sun shone through them. The secret ingredient was gold nanoparticles. Sunlight activated the nanoparticles so they could destroy volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) — the source of that new car smell, for instance, but toxic if inhaled in larger quantities.

The properties of medieval stained glass are so unique, Welsh scientists recently used their own versions of the material to build a special 3D panoramic camera for the European Space Agency’s 2019 Mars rover mission. In that case, the useful property was the way the glass resists fading — even after hundreds of years of exposure to the sun’s UV radiation. By blocking UV radiation, the nanoparticles in the stained glass chips will capture the true colors of the red planet.

Soon We Could Have Displays and Windows That Change Color with the Flick of a Switch. But it’s proven challenging to induce metal nano particles to switch colors, a critical ability if you want to build a color display with them. Past work has managed some slight shifts in hue by linking nanoparticles with nanowire bridges. The Rice scientists improved on those techniques to make the color shifts stronger via a kind of chemical bridge.

First, the Rice team fixed pairs of gold nanoparticles to a glass surface coated with conductive indium tin oxide, or ITO (it’s in your smartphone screen, for instance). They used the ITO to coat the surface of the gold particles with a silver electroplate. Then they immersed them in saltwater electrolyte with a silver electrode to form a circuit. Zap the nanoparticles with a negative voltage, and a conductive silver “drawbridge” forms. Reverse the voltage, and the bridge withdraws.

“The great thing about these chemical bridges is that we can create and eliminate them simply by applying or reversing a voltage,” group leader Christy Landes said in a press release. “This is the first method yet demonstrated to produce dramatic, reversible color changes for devices built from light-activated nano particles.”

The New Smart Windows

An example of the self-darkening glass next to a normal pane of glass in sunlight.

New 'Smart Windows' Let In Light But Keep Out The Heat For Energy Savings: A new nanocrystal glass has the ability to control the light and heat that gets through it, which means it could be used to make "smart windows" that could drastically reduce electricity bills. The new nanotechnology-based smart windows, the details of which are published in the journal Nature on August 15, could drastically lower energy bills by decreasing the electricity used to light a house while also lowering air conditioning bills on hot days.

Windows coated with this material could be integrated with a climate control system that a user could program to change with the time of day, or respond to fluctuations in sunlight or outside heat. "You would probably hook this up to some sort of control system that monitors light and heat and adjusts the window as needed," study researcher Delia Milliron, of Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratories, told Business Insider. "But you would always have an override switch if that was your preference, if it was too bright or if you wanted to darken it."

Nanocrystals of indium tin oxide (shown here in blue) embedded in a glassy matrix of niobium oxide (green) form a composite material that can switch between NIR-transmitting and NIR-blocking states with a small jolt of electricity. A synergistic interaction in the region where glassy matrix meets nanocrystal increases the potency of the electrochromic effect.

Nanotech to the rescue - Smart windows made from electrochromic glass work by darkening when a low voltage current is sent through them. A coating on the glass reacts to current and changes color, blocking the light. This idea isn't new — electrochromic windows exist in buildings and homes, and even Boeing's Dreamliner's First Class cabin windows.

One drawback of currently available self-darkening windows is that they can't let in a lot of sunlight without also letting in the sun's heat. "That was sort of an outstanding challenge that had been sitting in the background of the smart windows or high-performance windows field for a long time," Milliron said. The researchers solved this problem by mixing the Niobium oxide with special nanocrystals that can block the near-infrared rays that carry heat from the sun.

The inset represents the small nanocrystals suspended in the Niobium oxide. The window to the left shows the three possible settings of which the material is capable. The top shows the window without any charge: allowing both light and heat through. The middle setting blocks most of the near-infrared (heat) rays, while still allowing light waves through. In the bottom, the window is blocking both heat and light.

A new dawn - To make the revolutionary new windows, heat-absorbing nanocrystals are "grown" in a flask, and then mixed with a light-absorbing compound called Niobium oxide that, when heated, will encase them in a glass-like structure. They coat a standard piece of window glass with the solution, and heat the whole thing to bond the film to the glass. What comes out on the other side is a sheet of glass layered with a thin film of nanocrystals that can be programmed with electrical charges. This makes manufacturing the new smart windows much cheaper and quicker than before, opening up a much larger market for the technology.

It could be included in homes, large buildings and in cars, and could have a huge impact on energy costs, especially in hotter climates. "In the US, we spend about a quarter of our total energy on lighting, heating and cooling our buildings," Milliron said in a press release. "When used as a window coating, our new material can have a major impact on building energy efficiency." But, there still is more work to do. First, the team needs to integrate this new material with preexisting smart window components that regulate the voltage to activate the color and heat blocking features before they can have a full prototype.

Nanotechnology That Repels Oils, Dirt & Water

An iPhone sprayed with NeverWet was submerged in water

Scientists have created a silicone-based spray that makes phones waterproof, clothes completely stain-proof and window-cleaning a chore of the past.

New 'Waterproofing' Spray Launched In US: Scientists have created a silicone-based spray that makes phones waterproof, clothes completely stain-proof and window-cleaning a chore of the past. The NeverWet spray repels water and oil so strongly that it keeps materials totally dry when they are immersed in liquid. An iPhone that had been coated with the product still worked while submerged in a bucket of water for 30 minutes, according to the spray's manufacturers Ross Nanotechnology. Fruit juice, sauce and other liquids simply slide off clothes and shoes that have been protected with the spray. "Water and heavy oils will just shoot off of it - chocolate, ketchup, mustard, that sort of thing," researcher Andy Jones told the Pennsylvania newspaper Lancaster Online. And glass that has had the spray applied becomes so slippery to dirt that it washes off in the next rain shower.

The company believes the spray is so versatile that it could protect metal against corrosion, prevent ice-build up on power lines, and produce self-cleaning building materials. It has even tested the spray in hospitals, where it prevented bacteria sticking to bedpans and toilet plungers. Dr Jones added: "It is very novel, and when you start thinking about it, you can think about how transformative the technology can be. You can use it everywhere." The NeverWet spray repels water and oil so strongly that it keeps materials totally dry when they are immersed in liquid. An iPhone that had been coated with the product still worked while submerged in a bucket of water for 30 minutes, according to the spray's manufacturers Ross Nanotechnology. Fruit juice, sauce and other liquids simply slide off clothes and shoes that have been protected with the spray. "Water and heavy oils will just shoot off of it - chocolate, ketchup, mustard, that sort of thing," researcher Andy Jones told the Pennsylvania newspaper Lancaster Online.

And glass that has had the spray applied becomes so slippery to dirt that it washes off in the next rain shower. The company believes the spray is so versatile that it could protect metal against corrosion, prevent ice-build up on power lines, and produce self-cleaning building materials. It has even tested the spray in hospitals, where it prevented bacteria sticking to bedpans and toilet plungers. Dr Jones added: "It is very novel, and when you start thinking about it, you can think about how transformative the technology can be. You can use it everywhere."

Nanotechnology, Fullerenes & Bucky Balls - Window Cleaning Future?

What does this mean to the window cleaner? Water fed pole membranes & filters will last longer, but at what cost? Nanotechnology has already appeared as window films in both hydrophobic & hydrophillic coatings - and yet we know so little. Today & today only - WOOT are offering Limited Edition Green Buckyballs 216 Piece Magnetic Set – 2 Pack for $29.99 - science in your hands!

Even our water fed poles resemble the carbon nano-tubes.. read on..

Researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina have shown that buckyballs could prevent bacteria and other contaminants from attaching to water pipes and the membranes used to filter water in filtration plants. When bacteria attach to these surfaces, they attract other organics that eventually form a film that both blocks and contaminates the water within. Preventing this buildup using buckyballs could limit or prevent membrane replacements, reducing costs and making water safer at the same time.

A team at Duke's Environmental Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory led by Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Claudia Gunsch and post doctoral fellow So-Ryong Chae, has been experimenting with the buckyballs. Buckyballs, or systems with 60 carbon atoms arranged in a lattice of pentagons and hexagons much like a soccer ball, are the most common nanoparticles, also known as buckminsterfullerenes.

In addition to preventing attachment to the membranes, the buckyballs also appear to inhibit the ability of the bacteria to fuel their activities with oxygen. This reduces the number of bacteria available for attachment, further lessening the impact of the bacteria on water systems. The researchers say they do not fully understand why this is the case, but all experiments so far have yielded consistent results.

The bacterial attachment, called biofouling, is one of the most common problems in membrane-based water filtration plants. The pores in the membranes are so small that they can get clogged very easily, limiting throughput considerably. The difference seen in membranes operating with buckyballs versus those without was significant; treated membranes had about 20 bacteria colonies after three days while untreated membranes had too many colonies to count.

All experiments to date have been conducted with Escherichia coli K12, a strain of bacteria widely used in laboratory settings. The next step is trying the buckyballs with other types of bacteria and with mixed environments of multiple bacteria that more closely mimic real world situations. The longevity of these coatings must also be tested. Additionally, the Duke team plans to build its own miniature filtration plant for more intense testing.

The winning Aquaduct Mobile Filtration vehicle was designed to help people living in developing countries, who often do not have access to clean water. As the rider peddles, the peristaltic pump draws the water from the storage tank and through the filter. The filtered water is then transferred to the clean tank. The clean tank is a closed removable container which can be simply taken into the home

TFOT has previously reported on the Aquaduct Mobile Filtration bicycle that filters water as you pedal it. We have also reported on other technology based on buckyballs and other fullerenes including buckypaper composites with all of the properties of carbon nanotubes, an 80-atom buckyball made of Boron atoms instead of carbon, and ultralong carbon nanotubes developed at the University of Cincinnati.

Buckyballs for water treatment systems: Microscopic coal particles of the fullerene family called buckyballs could help to maintain cleaner water pipes. In the course of time, water membranes and pipelines accumulate bacteria and other microorganisms for water treatment. As bacteria are joining these surfaces attract other organic matter, creating a biological film that grows over time. The results obtained in the laboratory by a team from Duke University show that buckyballs might be able to prevent this coating, known as biofouling. The only alternative to this system is expensive, involves digging up the pipes, and replaces the membranes. Biofouling is one of the problems of higher costs associated with water treatment systems based on membranes. A group of engineers from Duke University says that buckyballs hamper the action of bacteria and other microorganisms accumulated in membranes that treatment plants use to filter water. Due to this property, these nanoparticles could solve one of the most expensive problems in water treatment. These membranes have small quickly coating pores that would be covered quickly. If the half-life time of membranes increases it would cause a significant reduction in the cost of these systems. The membranes treated with buckyballs present a lower bacterial layer than untreated ones.

Buckyballs Could Keep Water Systems Flowing:  Microscopic particles of carbon known as buckyballs may be able to keep the nation's water pipes clear in the same way clot-busting drugs prevent arteries from clogging up. Engineers at Duke University have found that buckyballs hinder the ability of bacteria and other microorganisms to accumulate on the membranes used to filter water in treatment plants. This attribute leads the researchers to believe that coating pipes and membranes with these nanoparticles may prove to be an effective strategy for addressing one of the major problems and costs of treating water.

"Just as plaque can build up inside arteries and reduce the flow of blood, bacteria and other microorganisms can over time attach and accumulate on water treatment membranes and along water pipes," said So-Ryong Chae, post-doctoral fellow in Duke's environmental and civil engineering department. The results of his experiments were published March 5, 2009 in the Journal of Membrane Sciences. "As the bacteria build up on these surfaces, they attract other organic matter, creating a biofilm that slowly builds up over time," Chae continued, "The results of our experiments in the laboratory indicate that buckyballs may be able to prevent this clogging, known as biofouling. The only other options to address biofouling are digging up the pipes and replacing the membranes, which can be expensive and inconvenient."

A buckyball, or C60, is one shape within the family of tiny carbon shapes known as fullerenes. They are named after Richard Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, since their shape resembles his famous structure. "Biofouling is viewed as one of the biggest costs associated with membrane-based water treatment systems," said Claudia Gunsch, assistant professor of civil engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and senior member of the research team. "These membranes have very small pores, so they can get stopped up quickly. If we could increase the time between membrane replacements by 50 percent, for example, that would be a huge cost savings."

According to Chae, the addition of buckyballs to treatment membranes had a two-fold effect. First, treated membranes showed less bacterial attachment than non-treated membranes. After three days, the membranes treated with buckyballs had on average 20 colony forming units, the method by which bacterial colonies are counted. "In contrast, the number of bacterial colonies on the untreated membrane was too numerous to count," Chae said. Chae also found that the presence of the buckyballs inhibited respiration, or the ability of the bacteria to use oxygen to fuel its activities. "As the concentration of buckyballs increased, so did the inhibition of respiration," Chae said. "This respiratory inhibition and anti-attachment suggests that this nanoparticle may be useful as an anti-fouling agent to prevent the biofouling of membranes or other surfaces." Gunsch said the mechanisms involved are not well-understood.

But what are the risks?..

Caution flag raised on buckyballs; harm to the environment possible: Buckyballs, described by some scientists as "the perfect molecule" and a hallmark of Rice University research, may cause more havoc in the environment than researchers originally thought. A team of researchers at Rice and Georgia Tech universities has found that the ultra-tiny, soccer-ball-shaped buckyballs, contrary to what they had thought, do in fact dissolve in water, a finding that suggests they could pose a risk for wildlife and water supplies.

The new results compound concerns raised by earlier studies that found buckyballs can cause brain damage in bass and harm human cells. Discovered nearly two decades ago at Rice, buckyballs are among a handful of new materials, far smaller than human cells or even DNA, driving the nanotechnology revolution. "This doesn't mean that we should put a halt on nanotechnology," said Joseph Hughes, an environmental engineer at Georgia Tech and the study's lead author. "Quite the opposite."

No scientists or government regulators have called for stopping the research and commercialization of nanotechnology, a rapidly expanding field of specialized materials that encompasses everything from novel medical approaches to bulletproof vests. Nor are many likely to call for a ban now.

What the new findings should do, researchers say, is increase pressure on the federal government to further regulate the production and handling of buckyballs and potentially other nanotechnology materials, such as carbon nanotubes. "I don't view this new research as something that's very scary," said Kristen Kulinowski, executive director of Rice's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology. "But it may highlight the need for caution."

'Buckyballs' have high potential to accumulate in living tissue: Research at Purdue University suggests synthetic carbon molecules called fullerenes, or buckyballs, have a high potential of being accumulated in animal tissue, but the molecules also appear to break down in sunlight, perhaps reducing their possible environmental dangers. Buckyballs may see widespread use in future products and applications, from drug-delivery vehicles for cancer therapy to ultrahard coatings and military armor, chemical sensors and hydrogen-storage technologies for batteries and automotive fuel cells.

"Because of the numerous potential applications, it is important to learn how buckyballs react in the environment and what their possible environmental impacts might be," said Chad Jafvert, a professor of civil engineering at Purdue. The researchers mixed buckyballs in a solution of water and a chemical called octanol, which has properties similar to fatty tissues in animals. Jafvert and doctoral student Pradnya Kulkarni were the first to document how readily buckyballs might be "partitioned," or distributed into water, soil and fatty tissues in wildlife such as fish. Findings indicated buckyballs have a greater chance of partitioning into fatty tissues than the banned pesticide DDT. However, while DDT is toxic to wildlife, buckyballs currently have no documented toxic effects, Jafvert said.

"This work points out the need for a better understanding of where the materials go in the environment," he said. "Our results show they are going to be taken up by fish and other organisms, possibly to toxic levels. This, however, indicates only the potential of buckyballs to bioaccumulate. They could break down in the environment or in an organism once taken up." Researchers do not yet know whether buckyballs will break down in the environment or will be metabolized by animals, which would reduce the risk of accumulating in fatty tissues.

Q&A With The Electric Window Cleaner (Jeff Brimble)

Jeff Brimble (pictured) is often the name people look for on all the window cleaning forums when they need to know about water fed pole (WFP) problems or brush techniques. His moniker,"save your life and go waterfed" usually follows his answers as Jeff dishes out advise, from window cleaning companies to WFP manufacturers. Jeff usually has an answer up his sleeve to almost every problem associated with waterfed pole work. From his nightlight cleaning lamp to the first ever backpack & of course the lightest ever WFP's, window cleaners lives have been changed by Jeffs approach & his inventiveness. I personally, bought my very first DIY modular carbon fiber fishing pole from Jeff (that's it in my profile photo!) & it's still one of the lightest poles on the market, except for the ones Jeff wields on a daily basis. Todays question & answer session will give you more insight into Jeffs world!

You’re known as “Electric” on the forums – how did that name come about?
I have an odd name that's difficult to spell and people can never remember if it's Geoff or Jeff! The electric backpack brought about the name & I wanted a trick that people could remember, hence the "Electric Window Cleaner" web site.

How long have you been window cleaning?
I started early - 1967 as have most young men, I think we all try it. I had a partner in Blackpool called Alan Forest - now the oldest window cleaner in the UK. I learn't my trade off him - a real gent', he was the AAA boxing champion of Lancashire so I had to behave !

Based in Ruthin, Wales, how come you don’t have a Welsh accent?
Listen "boyo," it depends who I am talking to. My wife says I am like a sponge with any dialect, so much so, that she find it embarrassing when I turn it on. Maybe its also to do with having "English" lessons when I was younger. Didn't work though!

When did you first pick up a water fed pole? Did you make it, or was it a bought one?
I converted an Unger Aluminum pole after reading about the Tucker USA poles in the AWC mag and joining Gary Mauers email forum many years ago. Twelve years ago - After two years of developing it my wife thought I was mad and that people would never accept it, but they did and she now knows I will come home safe at night.



So when anyone wants to know about water fed poles – they come to you Jeff. Are you happy with that?
Yes, I remember going to my first Master Window Cleaners exhibition in Windsor, UK, the same year as OTT started (now Ionics). I had by then my own 12v backpack. The next years were spent encouraging everyone "To save their life and go waterfed." At the Blackpool MWC exhibition I took many laughs and jokes in my stride with the backpack on! Thanks to the space given By Craig Mawlem from Ionics.

You were the first person to incorporate carbon-fiber poles in to window cleaning, how did the idea come about, explain more?
Hmm, I had a mate that used to go pole fishing, I had never heard of it, but when he let me hold his pole & how light it was - I was sold! I immediately bought an old "Leeda Blue diamond" off him for the staggering price of £200. He taught me a lot & I set about converting it. I was so excited when it was delivered - 8ft sections and really heavy at 60ft! After the fishing pole conversion I managed to sell it for half the price.

Is fishing a hobby for you?
Well I once caught a sea bass off the prom in Blackpool but was hopeless at fly fishing so gave it up.

I remember when the window cleaning forums first laughed about your carbon fiber fishing poles for window cleaning – happy now?
Karl, it was very hard being laughed at, I still have things to achieve, cleaning at 100ft being one of them (which I offered to one of the pole manufacturers just for my costs but was turned down).

When the first carbon fiber commercially made poles entered the market, did it ever occur to you that you started a craze?
Yes I realised a revolution was about to happen.

Do you have a favorite fishing pole you have adapted for window cleaning?
5-10 years ago they made the fishing poles out of stronger material but when the fishermen demanded stronger and lighter 16 metre poles they managed to get the wall thickness even thinner, if the window cleaning industry could only persuade the manufacturers to go back in time we could have reasonably priced poles. My favourite, is the legendary "Leeda Blue Diamond" but as I wanted a pole that everyone could use, I picked (after trying many) the "Map F16" as it was the new kid on the block and available indefinitely, it's predecessor was the stronger " M16."

What’s the highest you’ve ever been with a water fed pole?
A contractor from Sheffield asked me for some help cleaning a large building in Sheffield (pictured), he said it was about 78ft which ended up being 88ft 2" when we measured it on the ground. It taught me a lot including how to make high pole work say 100ft safe and possible. My previous height was 80ft, but hey, you Karl have my previous high pole the 80ft "Garbalino" with twisted strand technology.

What techniques do you utilise at that height as opposed to lower WFP work?
Well still air helps, but if there are any safety issues I get my secret "sky hook " bits and pieces out of the van. You have to be a natural plate spinner/balancer and keep your eye on what the brush is doing, as there is a tendency for the pole to curve back on itself & return to earth under gravity.

What height are you most comfortable with?
45ft is where the competition fears to tread on ladders, so that's the market I aim for.

Which is your favorite commercial WFP?
I gave some input to Alan at Emporium with his Ultralight (now ceased supplying the window cleaner market) and he sent sections for the 88ft job, which as far as I know is a world record.



Which is your favorite water fed pole brush?
Well I have had a swivel brush which works similar to the "whirlwind squeegee", I bought a half pallet load to get me to retirement and havent found anything to beat it, but I do like the Tucker range who I reckon have the best and most copied. Their UK distributor "Aquafactors" have their own cladding brush which is very soft and light.

I saw you bought a Nec-protech at one of the cleaning shows - how's that working for you?
I buy anything new to evaluate, sadly the Nec Protech is not for me as its too cumbersome. Fortunately the beginners neck pains have eased after 6 years of muscle building.

What’s the trickiest part of water fed cleaning ?
Without doubt its what I originally termed the "learning curve" and taking the plunge to try water fed pole work. I developed the first backpack after a good friend fell backwards off a 4ft step ladder and died two weeks before his much awaited retirement.



Spotting – can it ever be reduced ?
Its odd that we now have to apply nano-technology to make windows that used to sheet, sheet again, after being through the double glazing process. There are suppliers out there that still install sheeting glass, "Everest" in the UK being one, they also have installers that don't spread silicon and add finger prints all over the glass installation. Once any petroleum/silicon coating has been applied to the surface of the glass then there is nothing in the known universe that can remove the absorbed chemicals.

You collect your own WFP water from the sky by rain water harvesting – do you think this water is better for cleaning?
Yes one day we will understand why, natural rain is "softer" and different to water made from reverse osmosis (RO). Its good for our green footprint and the customers love the idea.

With rain water harvesting in mind - how often do you have to make production water from an R.O?
One IBC (1 tonne, industrial bulk container) full this dry year.

You use the least water of anyone I know to clean windows – what’s your secret ?
I guess its because I started with a back pack and wanted to stretch the water between fills, I still cannot understand why the suppliers encourage you to use gallons of the stuff, hmm or maybe I can, just add some filtered rainwater if you're in a limestone/borehole area. Most people cannot understand it either Karl, but it's an acquired art. I can use 330ml (1/4pint) per minute, but in dirty/dry weather I use up to 440ml (approx 1/2 pint/min).



When do you think the USA will catch up with British users in the WFP arena?
They already are buying UK equipment and Phillip Alexander (Simpole) is probably going to catch fast, the nature of window cleaning in the USA is totally different to the regular cleans we do in the UK though.

Where would you most like to live & practice window cleaning?
The big mistake I made was not moving to any large town 10 years ago, but I really do enjoy the rural life.

How many DIY/Inventions do you have on the go at the moment ?
Well there is the new brush you and I have been developing, introducing a cheap telescopic tapered modular with 3ft sections another (video featured). Then there is a wind resistant pole, I used to be a chimney sweep so the ideas for that come from that job, I have had a large variety of jobs.

Where do you see window cleaning in ten years from now ?
Nano technology may be there by then, its not working yet. I like your cleaning by sound ideas Karl -oh and a NASA Powered anti gravity jump pack would be a good Christmas present. Or an anti gravity skate board,self raising pole - I have a spoof picture of a pole with 4 helium ballons tied to it! Seriously though, I would hope that even in the next century there will be a demand for our "shiners" services, we are the problem solvers. Because of that, we probaby are the hardest sell next to ice cream to eskimos, but it's a great job. I already have a passive hot water system and have already made a wind resistant pole.

Contact Jeff through his Electric Window Cleaner Website.

Wagtail Winner & Other Window Cleaning News

Winner of the 14" & 18" Wagtail Whirlwinds in the "Just Giving" competition from a previous blog was James Carter (pictured) of Millbrooke Window Cleaning. Congratulations James. If you didn't know.....the Wagtail Whirlwind is now regarded as the fastest window cleaning tool in the world. An international challenge resulted in a massive 11 second speed difference between the Wagtail and all challengers.

Nanotube spiderweb catches the rays: A transparent spiderweb-like film formed from interconnected carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is highly efficient in solar energy harvesting, say Chinese scientists. CNTs are well known for their excellent electrical properties, which offer the potential for use in a broad range of modern technologies from sensors to flexible display panels. However, an appropriate method to produce CNT films that are both conductive and transparent has proved elusive, limiting their applications. Anyuan Cao and colleagues at Peking and Tsinghua Universities, Beijing, have developed a direct synthesis technique to achieve highly conductive and transparent CNT spiderwebs. They use chemical vapour deposition to grow ultra-long CNTs, followed by ethanol addition to condense them into bundles.

We use an extremely slow feeding rate of the chemical precursor, resulting in well controlled formation of thin, uniform CNT films,' explains Cao. The thinner the film, the higher the transparency - a property essential for its effective use as an electrode in solar cells. By tuning the transparency, Cao ensures that most of the incident sunlight can reach the underlying silicon wafer for conversion into electricity, without compromising the film's conductivity.
'CNTs play multiple roles in the solar cells: capturing the solar energy, forming junctions, collecting the photo-generation carriers and also as the transparent electrodes,' according to Yanqui Zhu at the University of Nottingham in the UK, who has expertise in nanomaterials fabrication and CNTs. He believes the successful fabrication of the 100 cm2 films brings CNTs a step closer to practical applications and paves the way for even larger scale production.
The spiderwebs are sticky yet robust and sufficiently flexible to be transferred easily to various substrates including metal, paper and micro carbon fibres. Cao foresees numerous potential applications for his CNT spiderwebs, and is pursuing research into their use in flexible devices and window coatings with self-cleaning, sensing, UV-blocking and heating functions.

Dangerous pests: “Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous animals known to men,” said Laura McGowan, a spokeswoman for Clarke, a company that developments mosquito control products and trains people on how to use them. “More humans die from mosquitoes than from any other animal. … Malaria is a big killer.” In Alabama and in other parts of the country, people have contracted the West Nile virus from mosquitoes and many have died. “West Nile is here,” said Jim Hollins Jr., Area V environmental director of the Alabama Department of Public Health. “If we found a dead bird in your parking lot, we would not be surprised if it tested positive for West Nile.” Hollins said there are no reports of anyone diagnosed with the West Nile virus so far this year, and he hopes it stays that way.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 29,000 people in the United States have contracted West Nile virus since 1999. Of those, about 12,000 became seriously ill and more than 1,150 have died from the virus. More than 300,000 people are estimated to have been sickened in the past 11 years since the virus surfaced in the U.S. Hollins recommends that people should use insect repellents if they are outdoors, where they can be exposed to mosquitoes. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said. “There is no treatment for the West Nile virus.” Hollins said the symptoms of West Nile virus are a lot like those experienced with a cold or flu.
Health officials also suggest that homeowners repair old door and window screens so mosquitoes can’t get inside. Water in buckets or dishes for outside animals, along with birdbaths, should be changed at least weekly. Officials say rain gutters should also be inspected and cleaned. And people should consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening, which are peak mosquito-biting times.

The power washer: Senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett (pictured) was in town Thursday and spotted at the corporate headquarters of her good buddy/window washing whiz Neal Zucker. The bevy of Secret Service agents accompanying Jarrett reportedly caused quite a stir......

Neal S. Zucker - Co-founder, executive vice-president (pictured) of Corporate Cleaning Services Inc. Partner in one of the city's largest window-washing companies and son of sports agent Steve Zucker, Mr. Zucker is perhaps best known as a whirling dervish on Chicago's philanthropic scene. "Some people have a few friends; Neal has a thousand friends," says Gerald Roper, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Hans Hofmann helped ring in the golden age of paleontology in the early 1960s when many evolutionary questions were being answered about the vast unknown stage of life that existed before animals were capable of leaving behind a trace of themselves in fossils. Although trained as a geologist, he spent his career searching for and finding evidence of early life in very ancient rocks. Jokingly, Hofmann liked to compare his research to “being the window-washer in an underground parking garage,” according to his former student Guy Narbonne, research chair in paleontology at Queen’s University in Kingston.

The measurement-and-data giant Nielsen has new evidence that advertisers need to do a better job of targeting the massive baby boomer demographic and stop worrying so much about young shoppers. However, Nielsen may find it difficult to challenge the accepted marketing orthodoxy that youth is where it's at. Any number of parties have complained over the decades about marketers' obsession with youth. Consumers over AARP age often have more money saved and can spend more on items other than food and groceries, but marketers maintain that reaching younger consumers, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 49, is more important. The logic? That group usually hasn't committed to a favourite toothpaste or window cleaner, while older folks have–and won't have their minds changed by a TV-ad blitz.
Nielsen wants to change those perceptions and it's got numbers on its side. Its researchers believe consumers over the next decade will have fewer children, leading to smaller households and fewer young consumers to lure. A rough economy will lead to those smaller young families spending less, and smaller salaries for younger generations known today as "Generation Y" and "Millenials." Indeed, as the baby boom generation retires and grows old, America is likely to have a larger older population and a much slower-growing young one, suggested Doug Anderson, Nielsen's senior vice-president of research and thought leadership.
"There will be a huge number of people over the age of 65, 75, and 85 over the coming decade. We've never had a population this big this old before," he said. "This is not something that demographers and anthropologists have tons of models sitting around that they can talk about. We as a species have never had this many older people before. It's new ground." There is some interest. In May, NBC Universal and Procter & Gamble launched a group of websites under the rubric "life goes strong" and aimed at catching boomers' fancy. Topics include technology and health.

Q&A with "CleanMy": Ben Williams, Managing Director of CleanMy, talks to FDS Midlands and Wales' Ken Young about his business and his plans for the future.
Question: How would you describe the CleanMy business?
Answer: CleanMy supplies all kinds of vital materials and equipment to business customers but we can perhaps best be described as a supplier of cleaning and hygiene products. Our range of over 2,000 stock items includes cleaning chemicals, paper disposables, soap & handcare products, janitorial equipment, window cleaning materials and safety workwear.
Question: What is the background to CleanMy?
Answer: CleanMy can be traced back to my grandfather who was in the window cleaning business.


A bigger squeegee? A window cleaner washes windows at the newly opened Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India. The new structure is spread over more than 120 acres and with more than 160 check-in windows it can handle 34 million passengers a year, according to Delhi International Airport.

The Blue Jackets are commemorating their 10th NHL season in 2010-11. The Blue Jackets also announced renewed partnerships with Columbus Brewing Company, Columbus Window Cleaning, Minute Men Staffing and the U.S. Air Force.

Cuci The Musical 2 is entertaining, but not because of its musical numbers. The musical revolves around four adopted brothers Fairil, Khai, C' Tan and Jojo who work together in their small family business Cuci-Cuci Services (M) Sdn Bhd. They move from their kam­pung to the city where they become window cleaners with dreams of one day making the windows of Petronas Twin Towers sparkle. When they get a chance to join the Window Washing Olympics, the foursome is ecstatic to get closer to the dream.

Having lived in the Canyon for 38 years, we are not unfamiliar with creatures. We had rattlesnakes at one time whose heads I chopped off despite a park ranger's insistence that I should reason with them. That would be like trying to reason with Karl Rove. We've also had raccoons, gophers and black widows, one of which bit a window washer who stuck his head under an eave and was mistakenly identified by the spider as an enemy. He survived with medical care and now works cleaning churches.

Spray On Solar Glass - Window Cleaning "Add-On?"

Spray On Solar Glass A Coming Reality: There have been plenty of shouts and rumors about see-through solar glass, but until now the technology had not reached the point where anyone was ready to begin commercial development. That appears to have changed, as New Energy Technologies, Inc., of Maryland, recently announced that researchers working on its proprietary Solar Window technology have achieved a series of breakthroughs that will allow the company to unveil a working prototype of the world’s first-ever glass window capable of generating electricity. The University of South Florida Research Foundation has granted New Energy an exclusive, worldwide license for technologies to enable commercial development of the product.

Until now, the limiting factors appear to have been the need for metals and various expensive processes that block visibility and prevent light from passing through glass surfaces. New Energy see-through solar glass is made possible by the world’s smallest working organic solar cells, a nanotechnology application developed by Dr. Xiaomei Jiang at the University of South Florida. Unlike conventional solar energy systems, New Energy’s solar cells are capable of generating electricity from both natural and artificial light sources; according to the company, they outperform today’s commercial solar and thin-film technologies by as much as 10-fold.



Technical hurdles surpassed in recent months by New Energy’s researchers include testing of these nanotech solar cells, measuring less than ¼ the size of a grain of rice, which generate electricity from both natural and artificial light sources; development of a patent-pending process to spray SolarWindow coatings onto see-through glass using commercially available technologies; and the ability to spray SolarWindow coatings onto glass at room temperature, eliminating expensive high-temperature or high-vacuum production methods commonly used by current solar manufacturers.



Sphelar cells are the new 'power windows': Developed by Kyosemi Corporation, Sphelar solar cells are one of the most intriguing solar solutions that we have seen in a while. On display at the recent PV Expo 2010 in Tokyo, these tiny spherical cells gave us a glimpse of how windows in buildings might be used to collect solar power in the not-so-distant future. Sphelar cells are solidified silicon drops measuring 1.8 mm in diameter and are highly transparent, which is advantageous for a number of reasons. They can be embedded in glass to create a transparent solar cell window, capable of absorbing light from any direction or angle. Because both sides of the glass can collect light, this should translate into highly efficient energy harvesting.



The cells can also be embedded in flexible surfaces, allowing for them to take on unusual shapes or be bent if necessary. The Sphelar Dome is one such example, designed to absorb more energy in the early morning and late evening unlike a flatter design. Have we seen the last of roof-mounted solar panels? It's exciting to think that a day may come when these 'power windows' could be in buildings everywhere, integrated into existing structural designs.

NanoUltra & NanoPhase - Hydrophillic Coatings For Window Cleaners

NanoUltra(TM) by Nanophase Technologies Revolutionizes the Architectural Glass Cleaning Industry: Nanophase Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:NANX), a technology leader in the development of advanced nanoengineered products, today launched NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Technology, their new line of architectural glass cleaning products, at the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) Convention in Reno, Nevada. The NanoUltra™ product line is targeted for the approximately $600 million U.S. professional window cleaning and restoration market which includes over 10,000 window cleaners.

"The introduction of NanoUltra™, - first commercial product family, dovetails perfectly into our business strategy of identifying an industry's unmet needs and taking the solutions directly to the end users within the industry," said Nanophase president and chief executive officer Jess Jankowski. "We couldn't be happier with today's product launch at an international convention showcasing state-of-the-art products for a large potential market, professional window cleaning and restoration. We are currently establishing our distribution channels and look forward to keeping our customers, shareholders and the financial community updated, as our NanoUltra™ sales and marketing campaign continues to unfold."

Nanophase vice president of sales and marketing David Nelson commented, "Architectural windows present an exciting new market with untapped potential for nano-based products. Our goal is to establish the technology in the professional industry and then expand into the consumer market which we believe also offers significant potential." Nelson continued, "Our revolutionary NanoUltra™ product line gives professional window cleaners, window restoration specialists, and building managers the opportunity to provide the next generation of window cleaning technology that truly makes windows shine, while keeping them cleaner longer than traditional window washing."

In conjunction with the NanoUltra™ introduction, Nanophase launched a product-specific website, www.nano-ultra.com, to showcase the products and provide in-depth product information, including a list of distributors and their contact information. NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Technology keeps windows cleaner longer than traditional window washing by providing an invisible protection to the surface of glass. The NanoUltra™ products impart a protection to the glass surface that is hydrophilic, allowing water to create a sheeting action that washes away dirt and grime. These revolutionary products also accelerate drying time, resulting in virtually spot and streak free windows.

This high-performance product works using a two-step application method. First, NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Pretreatment, a nano cerium oxide based product, is applied to provide both a chemical and mechanical polishing mechanism that restores glass to ‘like new' condition. Then the NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Treatment product is applied to maintain the super hydrophilic surface property and give windows the ultimate shine. The results can provide significant benefits to building owners and managers, professional window cleaners and window restoration specialists. In addition to potentially reducing liability and cleaning costs for the building owners, the NanoUltra™ technology offers up-sell and new business development opportunities for those servicing these patrons.

Nanophase Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:NANX), is a leader in nanomaterials technologies and provides nanoengineered products and solutions for multiple industrial product applications. Using a platform of patented and proprietary integrated nanomaterial technologies, the Company creates products with unique performance attributes from two ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 facilities. Nanophase delivers commercial quantity and quality nanoparticles, coated nanoparticles, and nanoparticle dispersions in a variety of media.

About NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Technology:
NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Technology keeps windows cleaner longer than traditional window washing by providing an invisible protection to the surface of glass. The NanoUltra™ products impart a protection to the glass surface that is hydrophilic, allowing water to create a sheeting action that washes away dirt and grime. These revolutionary products also accelerate drying time, resulting in virtually spot and streak free windows.
This high-performance product works using a two-step application method. First, NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Window Pretreatment, a nano cerium oxide based product, is applied to provide both a chemical and mechanical polishing mechanism that restores glass to ‘like new’ condition. Then the NanoUltra™ Super Hydrophilic Treatment product is applied to maintain the super hydrophilic surface property and give windows the ultimate shine.
The results can provide significant benefits to building owners and managers, professional window cleaners and window restoration specialists. In addition to potentially reducing liability and cleaning costs for the building owners, the NanoUltra™ technology offers up-sell and new business development opportunities for those servicing these patrons.